Machine for mining precious metals or stones in rivers beneath the surface thereof



1952 w. T. VOGELPOEL MACHINE FOR MINING PRECIOUS METALS 0R STONES 1NRIVERS BENEATH THE SURFACE THEREOF Filed Nov. 10. 1947 INVENTOR. Wallemmeodov s Voad Foe, BY b) I 1, E 'l I fpnm PxT'ToRN EYS Patented Nov. 4,1952 MACHINE FOR MINING PRECIOUS METALS OR STONES IN SURFACE THEREOFWillem Theodor-us Vogelpoel, Surabaya, Netherlands East IndiesApplication November 10, 1947, Serial No. 785,090 In the NetherlandsEast Indies November 24, 1946 2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to a machine for mining precious metals or stonesin a river beneath the surface thereof, which machine comprises an opentube diverging toward the outlet end and a washing device.

In order to render the operation of the machine independent of the rateof fiow of the river water and to guarantee a high yield, a stirrer isprovided according to the invention both in front of the inlet end andat the rear of the outlet end of the diverging tube, the perforatedlower side of the tube being located above a plane sloping down to oneside or to two sides in a direction perpendicular to the centre-line ofthe tube, a conveying device--located in a closed space-being arrangedalong the lower edge or edges of this plane, which device leads to aclosed washing room provided with a washing device.

In illustration of the invention an embodiment of the machine and itsoperation will be described with reference to the drawing.

Fig. l is a side elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line IIIIII in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV in Fig. 1.

The machine consists of a tube I about 15 metres in length, the inletend 2 of which has a diameter of 1 metre and the outlet end 3 a diameterof 1.5 metres.

The tube I built up from segments, is provided with perforations 4 atthe lower side, which perforations are located above a plane 5 slopingdown to two sides in a direction perpendicular to the centre-line of thetube.

This sloping plane 5 and the perforated lower side of the tube I areenclosed by a casing 6. In the casing 6 and along the two lower edges ofthe plane 5 a conveying device is located, which comprises a conveyorbelt I having ribs 8 perpendicular thereto which ribs drag over thebottom of the casing I.

The conveyor belts I each lead to a closed washing room 9 in which awashing device I0 is provided.

In front of the inlet end 2 and at the rear of the outlet end 3 of thetube I stirrers II are located for generating a strong flow of water inthe tube I and for drawing heavy material consisting of gravel mixedwith precious metals and stones into said tube.

In operation the machine-which has been lowered into the water untilresting on the bed of the river-has the inlet end 2 of its tube Ipointing upstream.

By putting the stirrers II into operation the RIVERS BENEATH THEvelocity of the water flowing into the tube I is increased and stonymaterial mixed with precious metals and stones is carried along by thewater and drawn into the tube I.

The water and the coarse stones will again leave the tube I at theoutlet end but the other heavy material will drop through theperforations 4 in the lower side of the tube I onto the sloping planes5, slide down along them and next be carried along by the conveyingdevices I to the washing rooms 9 on the bottom of which it willaccumulate.

In the washing rooms which are also filled with water, this heavymaterial will be taken up by the washing devices I0 disposed in saidrooms, which devices will separate the metals and precious stones fromthe lighter, valueless stony material which is returned to the riverthrough the discharge end of the washing device.

In order to avoid an undesirable accumulation of this waste material itis dispersed by the stirrer I I located at the outlet end of the tube I.

After raising the machine above the surface of the water only thevaluable Wash residues will have remained behind in the washing devices,from which they may be easily collected.

I claim:

1. Machine for mining precious metals or stones from the bed of riversand like water courses beneath the surface thereof, comprising a casingcarrying parallel to its bottom an open tube having an inlet end and anoutlet end and diverging towards said outlet end, a stirrer located infront of said inlet end, a second stirrer at the rear of said outletend, said stirrers being adapted to pass water and soil from the riverbed through said tube, said tube having perforations in its lower side,at least one plane surface located beneath said perforations and slopingdownwardly in a direction normal the axis of said tube, a conveyingdevice located in said casing and arranged along the lower edge of saidplane surface, said conveying device leading to a washing-out devicearranged in said casing and adapted to separate precious metals andstones from the soil, which has passed the perforations in the tube andwhich through the agency of said sloping plane surface and conveyingdevice is supplied to said washing-out device.

2. Machine for mining precious metals or stones from the bed of riversand like water courses beneath the surface thereof, comprising a casingcarrying parallel to its bottom an open tube having an inlet end and anoutlet end and diverging toward said outlet end, a stirrer lo cated infront of said inlet end, a second stirrer at the rear of said outletend, said stirrers being adapted to pass water and soil from the riverbed through said tube, said tube having perforations in its lower side,two plane surfaces located beneath said perforations, each plane surfacesloping downwardly in a direction normal to the axis of said tube andoppositely to the other plane surface, a conveying device located insaid casing and arranged along the lower edge of each of said planesurfaces, each said conveying device leading to a washing-out devicearranged in said casing and adapted to separate precious metals andstones from the soil which has passed the perforations in the tube andwhich through the agency of said sloping plane surface and conveyingdevice is supplied to said washing-out device.

WILLEM 'IHEODORUS VOGELPOEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

